Remasters and re-releases flood the market at a better frequency than ever earlier than, so admittedly the prospect of one other one is hardly probably the most thrilling one. Cellular Swimsuit Gundam SEED Battle Future Remastered, nevertheless, is an exception to that rule – this mecha motion sport based mostly on the favored cross media franchise initially launched for the PS Vita in 2012.
“The story and storytelling within the Gundam Battle video games tends to be on the lighter aspect to start with, and that’s very true on this sport.”
Sadly, that platform’s poor efficiency outdoors of Japan, in addition to a reasonably excessive quantity of Gundam releases on the time, meant that this one was handed over when the time got here for a western launch. In different phrases, most individuals around the globe by no means fairly performed this title, which alone makes it a worthy candidate for a re-release – no less than it is a sport that had very restricted availability to start with.
Then, too, is the truth that this sport falls within the Gundam Battle collection, which is pretty nicely appreciated amongst followers of the IP – so after all, an older entry in that subseries would have plenty of demand for a contemporary launch. So sure, seeing this basic PS Vita sport get a brand new lease of life on the Change and on PC greater than a decade after it first got here out is heartening for Gundam followers – of which there are lots of, actually sufficient for this launch to make enterprise sense.
And that’s simply as nicely, as a result of aside from of us who had been already followers of the property, Cellular Swimsuit Gundam SEED Battle Future Remastered is unlikely to discover a complete lot of takers. There are a good few causes for this – for starters, the sport itself doesn’t notably make plenty of effort at onboarding new gamers and entrants to the broader Gundam universe.
The story and storytelling within the Gundam Battle video games tends to be on the lighter aspect to start with, and that’s very true on this sport. There’s not plenty of storytelling right here, and what little there’s tends to make allusions to occasions, characters, phrases, locations, correct nouns et al, with no clarification or contextualization as to what they’re and why they matter. In different phrases, this isn’t a narrative that is smart to you until you already are a Gundam fan.
“Apart from of us who had been already followers of the property, Cellular Swimsuit Gundam SEED Battle Future Remastered is unlikely to discover a complete lot of takers.”
Even in the event you are a Gundam fan, nevertheless, the story right here is decidedly not the primary attraction. Don’t count on this sport to allow you to play out any of the primary conflicts, or the exploits of Kira and Athrun. On this sport, you might be taking part in a customized anonymous character, preventing from the sidelines, your battles at all times vaguely threatening to brush in opposition to the fringes of the primary battle and story of the Gundam collection, however by no means fairly doing so.
It’s like watching a TV spin off collection or direct to DVD sequel to an enormous film franchise, in that sure, it’s technically taking place in the identical universe and continuity as that massive story you care about. However it isn’t allowed an entire lot of developments or characters of consequence to be depicted inside it, or the place it does, it’s with as deft a contact as potential.
The narrative and storytelling chops, then, usually are not the rationale anybody goes to play the sport. What does stand out about this sport, and the rationale it’s prone to get dozens, if not lots of, of hours sunk into it from Gundam lovers is the superb mission based mostly design, and its 100 plus cellular fits to unlock. It’s due to replays, each to get the absolute best rank on each mission you battle in, and to play by means of the marketing campaign as every of the three factions you might be given a alternative between. It’s to unlock new fits, new pilots, new skills, new maps, after which mixing and matching them throughout the missions to get even higher outcomes than you might have been thus far.
The Gundam Battle video games have an addictive “another time” rating assault model loop. The missions are very fast, however very tense and gruelling, and finishing a battle can usually be a case of discovering out your grade was a B (or shamefully, generally even decrease), and realizing that in the event you replayed it however made certain to go in with a extra thought of load out, and weren’t being as hasty, you’d do higher. And then you definately leap again in and take a look at once more, and see your plan in motion, and that higher grade, which inspires you to maintain attempting, time and again.
Cellular Swimsuit Gundam SEED Battle Future Remastered has that very same high quality too, so Gundam followers are doubtless going to seek out plenty of worth for his or her cash right here. There are actually some points – battles go from being extraordinarily straightforward to being extraordinarily difficult with little or no buildup, and the digital camera management is, at the very best of instances, an annoyance, however this a part of the sport is nice sufficient that it punches means above its class.
“Gundam followers are doubtless going to seek out plenty of worth for his or her cash right here.”
The sport’s lack of enchantment to newcomers to the Gundam collection rankles even more durable right here, as a result of the core gameplay is legitimately ok that the sport might have feasibly been an onboarding ramp into the broader Gundam mythos. It isn’t merely the storytelling that’s accountable right here, there are different points that inherently restrict the sport’s broader enchantment as well as. For instance, that is, as talked about, the remaster of a sport that’s greater than a decade previous, and which initially launched for the PS Vita.
In different phrases, it isn’t a sport that you may realistically count on to be a looker. The truth is, in plenty of maps, it might probably look extraordinarily spartan and ugly, harking back to the form of aesthetic you’d discover in a decrease finances PS2 sport. The title, whereas technically remastered, nonetheless doesn’t look good right here. There are positively locations the place it might probably look interesting, notably within the house maps, the place the artwork model can take over and do the heavy lifting, however largely, this sport appears to be like poor sufficient that, once more, lots of people who might in any other case have been fascinated about a sport about massive mechs preventing, could also be turned off.
After which there’s the persistent subject that plenty of smaller area of interest Japanese releases run into with their international launches – solely the Japanese voice observe is obtainable. No English dub, nor dub in some other language, is offered. Once more, Gundam followers are prone to not thoughts this – actually, many could even favor the unique Japanese voices – however for everybody else, that is in all probability one more barrier for them to get previous.
Gundam followers not involved with these components don’t have anything to fret about. There’s a complete lot of content material and worth on this bundle, and sufficient references to the universe and story they love, that this sport buy could be a no brainer to them. However what I really hope for is that this rerelease does nicely sufficient that the builders return with a brand new, greater finances entry, with a extra newcomer pleasant marketing campaign and higher visuals, which may significantly broaden the variety of individuals within the Gundam property by itself. That’ll be the sport for them. This one? This one might be finest left to the present Gundam followers. You of us, no less than, are going to have a blast.
This sport was reviewed on Nintendo Change.
